WINGS OF NIGHT — The Secret Missions of Group Captain Charles Pickard, DSO and two bars, DFC
Prix régulier 35,00 € TTC 6%
Characteristics
| ISBN-10 | 0718304152 |
| Book cover finish(es) | Hardcover ( round back binding ) with Dust jacket |
| Condition | VG |
| Author(s) | Alexander Hamilton |
| Publisher | William Kimber & Co. Limited |
| Number of pages | 206 |
| Published date | 1977 |
| Language(s) | English |
| Size | 16 x 23.5 x 2 cm |
Description
Charles Pickard joined the Royal Air Force before the outbreak of World War II, and at the beginning of hostilities was posted to No. 99 Bomber Squadron and was later to command the Czech 311 Squadron. He took part in the Bruneval raid, and came to the forefront of public attention when he starred as 'F for Freddie' in Target for Tonight, a film made to illustrate the operational role of the bomber.
His secret missions began when he was posted to RAF Tempsford, the jumping-off ground for SOE operations, from where, as a pilot of the Lysander, his sorties took him deep into enemy-occupied territory at night to drop secret agents and supplies. Time after time he demonstrated his extraordinary ability for night flying, but, ironically, was killed while taking a prominent part in the famous daylight raid on the prison at Amiens.
Of this outstanding pilot, Air Chief Marshal Sir Basil Embry wrote: “It is impossible to measure Charles Pickard's loss to the RAF and Britain, but in courage, devotion to duty, fighting spirit and powers of really leading, he stood out as one of the great airmen of the war and as a shining example of British manhood. I always felt he was part of a character from an earlier, Elizabethan, age.”